Join us as we review F1, is this Brad Pitt blockbuster well crafted and nuanced, or does it follow the same old formula?
Fuelled with the same thrilling power that brought us Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski, screenwriter Ehren Kruger, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer present F1. The film stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a racing driver who makes a comeback to Formula One (F1) after a 30-year absence to help save his former teammate's underdog team, APXGP, from impending collapse.
Sonny Hayes, embodying the spirit of an underdog, finds himself facing a golden opportunity for redemption. Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), now the owner of the APXGP team, tells his former teammate that a victory would finally allow him to claim the title of the absolute best. However, when he meets ambitious British rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), it becomes clear that their partnership isn’t going to be smooth sailing at all.
Now we’ve all seen this underdog story before, but this one takes the excitement to a whole new level, delivering heart-pounding racing like we’ve never seen. Expertly crafted by top professionals, including actual Formula One drivers, this film shines under the direction of Joseph Kosinski. He teamed up with the FIA, the governing body of F1, to incorporate real-life racing sequences sourced from the 2023 and 2024 World Championships. The film also features appearances from genuine F1 teams and drivers throughout. To add an extra layer of authenticity, Lewis Hamilton took on a production role, working closely with Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, allowing them to get behind the wheel of real Formula One cars and have them race side by side with F1 drivers. This first-hand experience made the visual representation all the more exciting and engaging.
The familiar tropes are evident: the clash of youth versus experience, maturity versus adolescence.
As the film kicks into high gear, we’re showcased race after race, and we’re given the chance to get to know our main antagonists a bit more. Sonny comes across as a fast, reckless lone wolf, shrouded in mystery regarding his personal life—though that soon changes. Whilst Joshua is the talented rookie, a real standout supported by his mum and manager. The familiar tropes are evident: the clash of youth versus experience, maturity versus adolescence. It sets the stage for a gripping conflict of personalities, as both must learn to work together to avoid the downfall of APXGP.
Sonny Hayes’s impact on the team is immediately noticeable. Throughout the film, he was truly steering the ship at APXGP, offering advice and pushing for significant changes that, at times, felt a bit unrealistic. This narrative building effectively made me curious about what the team was actually doing before his arrival. This brings me to the character development, particularly of Kate McKenna, the technical director played by Kerry Condon. As one of the few female technical directors in the film, this was her moment to shine, but her potential was unfortunately overshadowed by Hayes’ influence.
Yet there’s fun to be had in this film with Brad Pitt’s performance, which is fun, gritty, and his laugh throughout was joyous and reminiscent of Tyler Durden in Fight Club. Alongside him, Damson Idris does a great job being the young and cocky rising star with his stellar driving performances, clashing personality and entourage keeping his celebrity status high and known. The whirlwind cast also features Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Shea Whigham, and others, alongside cameos from various Formula One drivers and crew members. One standout moment was seeing the work of Javier Bardem, who also bears a striking resemblance to the real F1 team principal Toto Wolff and who even makes a brief appearance with a line in the film.
Director Joseph Kosinski sticks to a familiar formula which has proven to be successful, as showcased in Top Gun: Maverick. While this is undoubtedly effective, it leaves little room for fresh material. Some of the subplots felt underdeveloped and added little value to the movie, and certain characters came across as unnecessary or underutilised. The film also suffers from an overly lengthy runtime, which ultimately detracts from the overall pacing.
Fans of Netflix's Drive To Survive are likely to love this Hollywood blockbuster, as it offers plenty of spectacular thrills, crowd-pleasing moments, and enjoyable soundtracks that will keep you bopping along. I’m not so sure that hardcore racing enthusiasts, who truly live and breathe Formula One, will feel the same way, but we’ll have to see.
F1 is showing at cinemas across Nottingham.
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